western cultures believe we must be alive for a purpose. to work, to make money. some indigenous cultures believe we’re alive just as nature is alive: to be here, to be beautiful & strange. we don’t need to achieve anything to be valid in our humanness.
– @melatoninlau on Twitter / X
I suspect this is accurate. Some indigenous cultures found an inherent value in humans and everything. A value that’s there just because it’s part of this wonderful existence.
We have value as we are, just like everything else. Our value is in being part of this wonderful universe and existence – expressing, exploring, and experiencing itself through and as all of us and all that is.
OTHER REASONS FOR ACTIVITY
The idea of having value through what’s peripheral – purpose, roles, actions, posessions – is so ingrained in the Western culture that it seems difficult for some to imagine something else.
For instance, I saw a comment to this saying “which Indigenous cultures? they didn’t just lay around being lazy”. That seems to come from someone who engages in activity primarily in order to find value. Without that, she or he can’t imagine a reason for doing anything.
In reality, there are innumerable reasons for doing something. Free from ideas about why we do something, we still do something and are in activity. It’s part of our nature. It’s just that it comes from another place in us.
We may do it to be more comfortable, to have a different life, to have food, clothing, and shelter, to take care of ourselves and those we love.
We may do it from love. Curiosity. Wanting to experience it. Exploration. Fascination.
We may do it for no apparent reason at all. Doing things is just what humans – and all beings – seem to do.
A CLOSER LOOK
It’s worth exploring all of this.
Where do I find my value?
If I find my value in what’s peripheral – roles, actions, possessions, a sense of purpose – what happens if or when these change or go away?
If I find my value in what’s more essential – in being part of this wonderful existence – what happens? How do I live my life? How do I live this moment?
INITIAL DRAFT
I suspect this is accurate. Some indigenous cultures found the value in humans and everything just in existing, just in being part of this wonderful existence.
We have value independent of any idea of purpose, what temporary roles we happen to have, or what we happen to temporarily do or produce.
We have value just in what we are, just like everything else. Our value is in being part of this wonderful universe and existence – expressing, exploring, and experiencing itself through and as all of us and all that is.
OTHER REASONS FOR ACTIVITY
The idea of having value through those things – purpose, roles, or actions – is so ingrained in the Western culture that it seems difficult for some to imagine something else.
For instance, I saw a comment to this saying “which Indigenous cultures? they didn’t just lay around being lazy”. That seems to come from someone who engages in activity primarily in order to find value. Without that, she or he can’t imagine a reason for doing anything.
In reality, there are innumerable reasons for doing something. Free from ideas about why we do something, we still do something and are in activity. It’s part of our nature. It’s just that it comes from another place in us.
We may do it to be more comfortable, to have a different life, to have food, clothing, and shelter, to take care of ourselves and those we love.
We may do it from love. Curiosity. Wanting to experience it. Exploration. Fascination.
We may do it for no apparent reason at all. Doing things is just what humans – and all beings – seem to do.
THE UPSIDE OF FINDING OUR VALUE OUTSIDE OF PURPOSE AND DOING
The main downside of attaching our value to peripheral things – roles, actions, ideas of purpose – is clear. If or when these things go away, we find ourselves apparently without value.
The upside of finding our value independent of these things is also not so difficult to find. It means we have value through the shifting situations in life where we go through different roles, levels and ability to be in activity, ideas of purpose, and so on.
There is another upside, and that is that we are free to notice other reasons to do and be and live. What we do can come from a different place in us.